The time may be right for United to cash in on Ronaldo
All but the most misguided of Manchester United fans have known that Ronaldo will not be at United for the duration of his career. His dream has always been to play for Real Madrid, and that dream was always likely to be realised for a player of his skill and stature.
But most United fans had hoped that he would not leave for a few years yet. However, with Ronaldo’s intentions revealed to Brazilian website Terra yesterday, the time has come for United fans to face the very Real reality that Ronaldo will not be at Old Trafford next season.
Who can blame Ronaldo for wanting to leave? He has won everything there is to win at United and has received every accolade there is to receive. In short, he has developed into one of the greatest players ever to have graced the Old Trafford turf - and I do not believe that to be an overstatement at all.
He wants to move to live out a childhood fantasy - remember most people in the Iberian peninsular (quite rightly) see playing at the Bernabeu as the football zenith, the point of the heavens. The added bonus would be that he would be earning astronomical sums in so doing. If I was Ronaldo, I would want to leave!
Let us examine what Ronaldo said to Terra:
"I want to play for Real Madrid, but only if it is true they are eager to pay me and Manchester United what they have been saying they will".
This really does put Real under huge financial pressure as the sums being banded around for the transfer to take place are well in excess of £60 million.
If that type of bid was made, I think United should seriously consider accepting it. That type of money together with the extant transfer kitty would be enough to revamp the United squad with three world class players: the top class centre forward that we have been missing for a while, a top drawer playmaker/goalscorer in the Ronaldo mould (there is no direct equivalent I know!) and the right back needed to replace Gary Neville. The names Benzema, Robinho and Lahm come to mind - but the Ronaldo war chest would allow a multiple options. Sir Alex's philosophy has always been to build on success, and this saga may in-directly force him to do this.
The alternative would be to keep a want-away player who may not be able to replicate the unbelievable season he has just had. Will Ronaldo ever be able to reach the heights of this season again? Will his stock ever be higher? Should United cash in on Ronaldo? Do you just want this resolved one way or the other?
posted by Abdul at 6/06/2008 10:20:00 am
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4 Comments:
I totally agree with you. Its almost impossible to reach the hights Ronaldo did this season, and it would be a perfect time to cash in on him. But we have to buy top class goal scorers like Benzema, Huntelaar or similar if we sell him.
6/06/2008 10:57 am
60 Million is nothing for a player of Ronaldo's quality and marketability.
We sold Beckam to RM for 25M and they made all that back plus more just in shirt sales in less than 2 years.
Considering Ronaldo is only 23, he has at least 10 years of Marketability left in him JUST during his playing career.
Id be looking for a minimum up front payment of 100m, plus a hefty percentage of any cash gained from his marketability when that figure is reached by RM.
His playing qualities are worth 60M, his other qualities are virtually priceless.
6/06/2008 11:33 am
Firstly if the deal was to be done then it should be done for at least £100 million pound, paid over 2-3 seasons. I have a fear that United don't really know how to play hardball in the way that Lyon's president Aulas does. We always let players go on the cheap, and then have to put with the other teams board claiming that they have already recopued the transfer fee within 6 months.
Whether he goes now or whether he goes in 1-2 seasons the point is that he will go. Initially I had been thinking that it would be better to get the money for him and then buy someone like Kaka or Messi for the money. As I cannot see United doing that I feel the best option for them would be to get rid off Ronaldo and then spend the proceeds on the likes of Sergio Aguero(I doubt many people have even seen him play) but he is a sensation, Ronaldinho, and a top class striker. I would be more than happy if United achieved this.
6/06/2008 11:48 am
Oh, I have heard and seen Aguero play, he was a LFC target last season while at Independiente and he said he would like to come but for some reason we stalled on the fee and instead Atletico grabbed him.
As for selling Ronaldo, he is hot property with two seasons worth of playability in Utd's favour, no coincidence they won the title back-to-back. In Europe Ronaldo would be renowned and much more coveted for European Player of The Year than in England on domestic form, seems bizarre to believe but I do sense its the truth.
Right now would be a good time to sell since he wouldnt be allowed to go to another Premiership club and therefore the region of Spain seems more appropriate for both parties, with particularly Real Madrid interested and financially prepared to make business.
Thing is since the departure of the likes of Zidane, perhaps Carlos, Brazil's Ronaldo, the Bernabeu have not had a player who grips the crowd and opposition in the same way that Ronaldo does in the EPL and since the football politics thrives on crowd appeasement Ronaldo would attract much more revenue. They like flair with pace, the excitement it gives off and regularly too, and this adds up to the major interest from Real, not to mention when their ears pricked up once Ronaldo mentioned of his desire to play there.
Sr Calderon can play about with words like 'I want him but I respect he is a Man Utd player so I wont push it', when in reality he is simply rubbing his hands with glee at the prospect. Real wants therefore he wants and he is expected to get or be looked on as falling short.
The way in which he was discovered and brought over was a superb move in itself, the cultivating of Beckham with PNE before coming back sharper, the acquisition of Cantona, development of Keane as captain, Schmeichel as keeper, and now they have Nani and Anderson, Hargreaves (which for me spells the end of Carrick), Rooney and then Tevez. Incorporating strong players who can take and give, hold their own and also provide for the team. Players who can hold up the ball and seldom be nudged off it adds value to a side and Ferguson has been doing that for seasons.
Selling Ronaldo now means little in terms of structure, for the kitty could provide another two or three players who can add what would be missed in Ronaldo's departure.
RedsMan.
6/06/2008 12:52 pm
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